A visual arts teacher is usually referred to as an art teacher. An art teacher can work in a school, college, or university, or in a studio or museum. They can also give private lessons. An art instructor in any of these positions is likely to address six basic areas over time. These include: how to create visual arts using various media; the structures and functions involved in art of various genres and purposes; the selection and evaluation of art content; the visual arts’ relationship to historic events and cultures; how to assess works of art; and the visual arts’ interrelationships with other disciplines. In many cases, these subjects will not be taught as separate units; rather, they will be mixed together and overlapped.
When teaching the first area, the art teacher assists students in understanding the techniques and processes involved in working with various media, as well as giving them opportunities to practice using these media. Paint, clay, pastels, metal, wood, and dyes are all examples of possible media. Brush strokes, various approaches using a potter’s wheel, smudging, welding, carving, and batiking are examples of techniques and processes.
The art teacher assists students in gaining knowledge of structures and functions when teaching the second area. This means he or she teaches students about artistic and practical function, as well as the underlying organizational principles of the arts, such as repetition, contrast, emphasis, balance, and unity. Students gain an understanding of various perspectives on the roles of these elements in works of art, are able to evaluate the effectiveness of various approaches, and are able to make effective structural and functional decisions in their own work.
The art instructor focuses on the content of art, such as subject matter, symbolism, and the incorporation of ideas into artwork, in the third area. Students learn to consider and select the content of the artwork they create with care. They also determine the origins, purposes, and efficacy of subjects, symbols, and ideas in other people’s art.
Fourth, the art teacher aids in the contextualization of artworks in terms of history and culture. Students learn to evaluate artworks in terms of their historical and cultural context. They can also recognize common elements in works of art from various cultures.
Fifth, the art instructor assists students in developing a set of criteria by which they can evaluate their own work as well as the work of others. The concepts of intention, meaning, and effectiveness are explored by students. They learn to interpret works of art in these terms and to comprehend their own reactions to art in terms of the techniques and content.
Finally, the art teacher connects the visual arts to other arts and disciplines. Students gain an understanding of the principles that underpin a variety of disciplines. They learn to interpret works of art using concepts from other disciplines, such as the humanities and sciences.